Governor has assented to 4 of 15 COI bills

Four of the 15 bills the House of Assembly passed recently pursuant to recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry have now received assent from Governor Daniel Pruce, according to Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley.

Of the remaining bills, two are currently under review by the government and four are on the governor’s desk, Dr. Wheatley told the House of Assembly in a Friday update on the COI reforms. The rest — five statutory board bills the HOA finished passing on Sept. 27 — are now at the Attorney General Chambers undergoing “due diligence” before going to the governor, he said.

Dr. Wheatley also reiterated his position that the HOA’s passage of the 15 bills and eight major supporting policies “signalled the completion of the government’s responsibilities in implementing the 48 COI recommendations under the framework agreement between the government of the Virgin Islands and the government of the United Kingdom.”

Approved bills

The four bills that have received Mr. Pruce’s assent are the Crown Lands Management Act, 2024; the Public Assistance (Amendment) Act, 2024; the Service Commission (Amendment) Act, 2024; and the Audit (Amendment) Act, 2022, the premier said.

“We are currently in active review of the Virgin Islands Inquiries Act, 2024, and the Immigration and Passport (Amendment) Act, 2024, and those are expected to be completed shortly,” Dr. Wheatley told the HOA.

The bills currently on the governor’s desk, he added, are the Register of Interests (Amendment) Act, 2024; the Integrity in Public Life (Amendment) Act, 2024; the Public Service Management Act, 2024; and the Parliamentary Commission for Standards Act, 2024.

OT minister’s visit

Dr. Wheatley said his government will continue to work with the governor in hopes of completing the assent process for the bills and finalising the eight supporting policies before a visit next month by UK Overseas Territories Minister Stephen Doughty.

“During that visit, Madam Speaker, we expect to clearly define the terms and conditions of the review that will determine the requirements and timing of the lifting of the order in council that is being held in reserve,” the premier said.

He also repeated his previous denunciations of the UK order in council, which allows the UK to partially suspend the territory’s Constitution and implement direct rule if the VI doesn’t meet its COI reform commitments.

The order, Dr. Wheatley said, has “no place in a modern partnership.”

Transition plan

While the Governor’s Office works through the remaining legislation, the government will begin the shift from COI implementation to “ongoing governance reform,” according to the premier.

“We are now preparing to embark on our Governance Reform Transition Plan, which includes an extensive education and awareness initiative for public officers and the wider community alongside a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure that the reforms mandated by the COI are effectively implemented, monitored and sustained,” he said.

Timeline targets

Dr. Wheatley added that he aims to launch the transition plan on Nov. 4 and hopes to “mainstream” it by January.

In collaboration with the Deputy Governor’s Office, he said, his office plans to combine governance reform with public service reform under an initiative dubbed the “Governance and Service Reform Programme.”

The premier added that he looks forward to Mr. Doughty’s coming visit.

“It is my hope, Madam Speaker, that this visit and its outcome will signal the beginning of a new era in the evolution of the relationship between the United Kingdom and the Virgin Islands,” he said.

The premier also thanked opposition members for their work on the COI reforms.

‘Defining moment’

“History will record it as a defining moment when we committed our collective energies to uniting to achieve the common goal of protecting the best interest of the people of the Virgin Islands,” he said, adding, “We need more of that energy exhibited in the conference room of this Honourable House, Madam Speaker. It is the only way we can build a sustainable nation.”